Cruzeiro skipper Lucas Silva upbeat before Libertadores tie v Flamengo | OneFootball

When will the matches between Flamengo and Cruzeiro take place?

The South American football calendar is on hold because of the World Cup, but the teams are still planning for the rest of the season. In the Libertadores Round of 16, Flamengo and Cruzeiro will face each other in August, and the captain of the Minas Gerais side, Lucas Silva, spoke about the matchup.

— It’s going to be a very difficult match. We’ll have to be at our very best. Our group has already shown our strength. We turned things around since the start of the year. Proof of that was our Libertadores group. It was the group of death, and we managed to qualify -, he said, before concluding:

— In the knockout stage, we knew a tough opponent could come. To be champions, you don’t get to choose your opponent. Whoever comes, we have to get past them until we reach the final and achieve the big goal, which is to win the Libertadores -, Lucas Silva concluded.

Is the World Cup break good for Cruzeiro?

In addition, during Cruzeiro’s return to training, Lucas Silva was asked about the break in the schedule for the World Cup. The midfielder sees the period as a positive one ahead of the clash with Flamengo.

— I see it as a good thing, even though we were on a very good run. It gives us a breather, lets us have time to train and improve, and build even more chemistry -, he added.

— We have decisive matches ahead, where we can’t afford any margin for error. This break will be important for us to sharpen up, be in good shape and, when the matches come, perform in the best possible way -, the Cruzeiro captain concluded.

When will the Flamengo vs. Cruzeiro Libertadores matches take place?

The Libertadores group stage has ended and, with that, Conmebol held a new draw for the knockout rounds. As a result, the “little balls” paired Flamengo and Cruzeiro against each other in the Round of 16 of the tournament.

The first match between the teams is scheduled for August 12 at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Mineirão. Then, the second and decisive clash between Flamengo and Cruzeiro will be on the 19th, at the same time, at the Maracanã. That way, Rubro-Negro will have the support of the Nation as they look to secure qualification.

Does Flamengo have the best overall Libertadores campaign?

Flamengo finished the Libertadores group stage with the best overall campaign. In six rounds, Rubro-Negro collected 16 points, with five wins and one draw. Thus, Mengão will play the knockout ties, except for the final, at home.

What is the author’s opinion on the Flamengo vs. Cruzeiro match?

“The Round of 16 clash between Flamengo and Cruzeiro in the Libertadores promises to be a balanced one. Flamengo are the favorites because of their deeper squad and knockout-stage experience, but they face a rising Cruzeiro side that has already shown strength in the competition,” he began.

“Captain Lucas Silva’s confidence shows that Cruzeiro will not just be there to make up the numbers. Even so, because of the quality of the squad and the weight of the crowd, I see Flamengo with the edge to advance, but they need to respect their opponent,” concluded Davi Esteves, journalist for Coluna do Fla.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.